Tempting Trouble
by Ocean's Timbre
Summary: He dreamed that their sparring match had gone differently. That, as she straddled him, he had closed the remaining distance between his lips and hers. Rating just to be safe.


_A/N: This is just a fluffy little plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone. It was too cute to resist! I'm not sure exactly when this takes place, but sometime before the Pro-Bending championship and Mako hasn't met Asami yet. This fic just pretty much focuses on his sexual frustrations. I just love to torture him so! I know there are a lot of fics like this out there, but I hope that mine can stand out. Again, thanks so much for the awesome reviews and feedback for my other stories, and keep them coming! They motivate me to write the pieces you see before you on the screen! Anyway, leave your thoughts in a review, and enjoy! _

_Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Korra._

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_**Tempting Trouble**_

Early morning dawned in Republic City just as it did every day. The sun rose lazily over Yue Bay, brightening the previously dark sky with its rays. The morning air was crisp, a sign of the coming winter. The City's streets were scattered with early risers. And just like every other day, Mako was training in the practice gym of the Pro-Bending Arena. And typically, Korra was late. _As usual_.

Mako heaved a frustrated growl, throwing a torrent of flames at the fireproof dummy before him with more force than was warranted. The dummy still smoking slightly, Mako threw kick after punch after kick until the dummy collapsed to the floor. Breathing heavily, Mako walked over to the side of the gym and grabbed a towel out of his bag, wiping his sweat soaked face.

Just then, the double doors of the practice gym burst open with a loud _bang_, revealing the object of Mako's frustration. _Korra_. She looked like a mess. Her dark hair, usually done up in typical warrior wolf-tails, was only half done, the top tail still needing to be put up. Half of her padded practice gear was on, many of the pieces hanging loosely or on the wrong body part. Her practice bag was slung over her shoulder, only half zipped, some of its contents hanging out. Finally, to top it all off, she had a dumpling stuffed in her mouth, another clenched in her hand.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Korra said around the mouthful of food, "I know I'm late!"

Flinging her bag, which was already half empty, onto the floor, she continued, "Tenzin would _not_ let me leave! Apparently I just _had_ to have airbending training at the butt crack of dawn."

Mako stared at Korra, his face pinched in frustration, his amber eyes narrowed.

As Korra began to put her practice gear on correctly, stuffing the second dumpling into her mouth, she noticed his expression. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. What's with the face Cool Guy? And where's Bolin?"

"You're _late_. And he's out." Mako replied curtly, an edge entering his voice. In reality, Bolin was out with Pabu making some extra cash that they could hopefully use to enter into the championship pot. If they made it that far, that is.

Korra, her gear now put on correctly and her hair put up, stared at Mako, puzzled at why he was in such a bad mood. Well, why he was in a bad mood _now_. He was _always_ in a bad mood.

Slinging his now damp towel around his neck, Mako stalked up to Korra until he was about a foot from her, his previous frustration now simmering as anger. He didn't know why, but Korra could set him off like nothing else could. He usually prided himself in his control, but when Korra said or did something, all his restraints immediately broke.

"Honestly Korra! The championship tournament is only a _few_ matches away, and we _need_ to qualify! If you're late to practice every day, then we honestly won't stand a chance! I don't think you're taking this whole thing seriously!"

Now _that_ did it. If Korra acted as an accelerant to his inner fire, he acted as an accelerant to hers. Korra, throwing caution to the winds, closed the remaining distance between herself and Mako until their faces were only inches apart.

"You think I'm not taking this _seriously_? I'm _here_ aren't I? I have a _million_ other things I could be doing, that I _should_ be doing! I could be doing Avatar stuff, like airbending training or Tarrlok's task force, but instead, I chose to be _here_. So don't you tell me I'm not taking this seriously!"

By now Korra was shouting, looking up into Mako's face, her forefinger pointing into his sweaty chest. Her turquoise eyes were alight with anger, her eyebrows drawn together. Mako, his anger still fuming, had a temper that could match her own, and he wouldn't back down.

"Alright then," he said, backing up and crossing his arms across his chest. "If you really take Pro-Bending seriously, then let's spar. Just you and me, right here, right now, fire _only_."

Korra, not one to back down from a challenge, nodded curtly, a cocky, lopsided grin crossing her face.

Both Mako and Korra paced to either side of the gym, getting in their ready positions. With a motion from Mako, they began. Korra was the one to make the first move, lacking the patience to wait to strike when her opponent made a mistake. Mako grinned. He knew better. He dodged her ball of fire, sidestepping to the right. Using the cover of her flames, he launched a flaming roundhouse kick. Korra, caught by surprise, took the blow to the chest with a grunt. The blow didn't manage to knock her over, but it allowed Mako to gain more ground. Using her distraction to his advantage, Mako attacked again, his closed fists punching through the air, one after the other, over and over again. Korra, now back on her feet and her face more determined than ever, dodged each ball of flame that came at her, a grin flashing white across her face as she saw Mako's surprised expression. Airbending training had made her light on her feet.

Mako, not deterred by her newfound quickness, ran at her and jumped, doing a flip in the air. Once he was directly over Korra, he released two jets of flame from his closed fists. Korra, expecting his attack, did a roundhouse kick at the last second, an arc of fire forming above her in the air. Both their blows collided with a loud _hiss_ and _boom_, sending them both flying across the arena, smoke everywhere. Mako landed with a soft thud against one wall, sliding down it until he hit the floor. Ignoring his screaming muscles and his slight dizziness, he got to his feet quickly. As he stood up shakily, he saw Korra slide across the floor from the force of their combined blows, scrambling to her feet. Mako, taking the opening, leveled his fists at Korra, about to release two torrents of flame that would send her reeling, effectively ending the match. But Korra got to her feet quicker than Mako thought was humanly possible. Just as the flames were leaving his fists, Korra came sprinting at him, her hands covering his, extinguishing the flames. The force of her all out run collided with Mako dead on, sending them both sprawling to the floor.

As the smoke cleared from the practice gym and Mako hit the floor with a _thud_, he became _very_ aware of Korra's presence above him. She straddled him, her hands still covering his, stretched out above his head. She was breathing heavily, and every time she exhaled, Mako felt her chest brush against his own. Her tan skin was coated in sweat from the heat of the flames and the exertion from their spar. Strands of her silky, dark brown hair had escaped from their respective wolf-tails, sticking to her cheek and neck. Her turquoise eyes were bright and alight with victory. That lopsided and cocky grin that Mako both hated and loved was stretched across her face, white teeth flashing against her dark skin. Their faces were inches from one another, their lips mere centimeters apart. Beads of her sweat trickled off her skin, landing on Mako's own. Every drop that touched him felt like liquid fire. Her breath, hot and heavy from panting, was warm as it blew into Mako's face. He could feel a blush creeping up the back of his neck to pink his cheeks, his amber eyes wide, his mouth slack.

Korra, oblivious to Mako's distraction, grinned wickedly. "Still think I don't take Pro-Bending seriously, Mako?" She asked, triumph evident in her tone of voice.

Mako, still feeling the effects of the closeness of her presence, scrambled away from her as he tried to form a reply. "N-no, of…of course not. Why would I think that?" he said, a nervous laugh escaping his lips, his voice cracking slightly.

Standing tall with her hands on her hips, Korra smiled wide. "Good."

She helped the still sitting Mako to his feet and then went to stow her things in her bag. Mako did the same, grabbing his towel and holding it against his face, feeling the heat of the blush leave his cheeks and neck. What just happened? Why did she have this effect on him? Shaking his head slightly, Mako slung the towel around his neck, about to say good-bye to Korra when she interrupted him.

"By the way," she said, hoisting her bag over her shoulder, "Tenzin said that I could spend the night with you guys, as his way of apologizing for making me late. That way we can have a full practice tomorrow. Isn't that great?"

Mako blanched at her words. Korra, spend the night? In _his_ apartment?

Korra, noticing his startled expression, amended her statement quickly. "I mean, if it's not too much trouble. I just thought that you'd be happy, you know, having the whole team for a full practice for once, is all."

"No, no…its fine. Great." Mako said, his voice falsely enthusiastic.

Korra starred oddly at him. "Okay, if you say so…" she trailed off as she followed him out of the gym.

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The rest of the day had passed relatively smoothly. After their sparring match, Mako and Korra met up with Bolin for an early lunch. Afterwards, Korra had to return to Air Temple Island to train more with Tenzin. Bolin left too, continuing his quest for the much needed yuans. Once they had gone, Mako hurriedly raced back to his and Bo's apartment to straighten up. He was suddenly glad that he ran a particularly tight household. The only things he had to pick up were Bolin's dirty laundry. Not having many possessions to begin with, the bending brother's apartment was sparsely furnished. A ladder lead to the loft room above, and another one lead down to the Pro-Bending Arena. A bright red couch stretched around one corner against the wall. A small, round table was the center of the room. A few crates and boxes were stacked variously around the room. A bathroom was off to the right. A tin tub was in one corner, for doing laundry and washing Pabu. Finally, a stove sat against one wall.

Once Mako had put away Bolin's laundry, he scrubbed every surface in sight until everything was sparkly clean. He then scrounged up an extra mattress, blanket, and pillow, and placed them between his and Bo's beds on the loft above. That done, Mako collapsed on the couch, exhausted. Why did he go to such lengths to impress Korra, of all people? She was nothing special, besides being that Avatar, that is. Unwillingly, his mind drifted back to their sparring match earlier that morning. Even remembering it, his face reddened. He could remember the taste of her hot breath as it mingled with his own, and he was very aware of all the places their bodies had touched. He shook his head, ridding himself of the memory. No one, let alone a girl, had ever made him feel like this.

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Korra arrived around dinner time. Mako fried noodles for their meal, serving Korra, himself, and Bolin at the table. At first, Mako was tense, never having a house guest before. Was there some protocol to follow? Was there something he wasn't doing right? But his worries began to fade as the evening went on. Korra seemed to be totally at ease. After dinner, they had tea, played with Pabu, and even played a game of Pai Scho. Always as thick as thieves, Korra and Bolin were the jokesters of the night, telling funny stories and trading pranks. As the night wore on, Mako found that he was enjoying himself too. He occasionally laughed and smiled, both of which he hadn't done in a long time. But most of all, he _relaxed_. It was nice, he realized, to have someone other than Bolin to spend time with.

As the sky darkened outside the large window, the moon reflecting off Yue Bay, Mako decided it was time for bed. Bolin was already asleep, passed out on the bright red couch snoring loudly and drooling onto his shirt. Korra was currently trying to tickle Bo's nose with Pabu's tail. Mako smiled to himself and yawned.

"I think I'll head to bed," he told Korra, unfolding himself from his seat on the ground.

Korra nodded. "I think I will too. Do you think we should get him upstairs?" she asked, pointing a thumb in Bolin's direction as Pabu scampered down her shoulder and across the floor.

Mako smiled. "That's probably a good idea."

Together, they hoisted one of Bolin's beefy arms over each of their shoulders and carried him up the ladder to the loft. Once there, they deposited him onto his bed. Bolin, still dead to world, snored louder than ever. Korra looked at him endearingly, and chuckled to herself, and then turned to Mako.

"Where will I be sleeping?"

"Right here," Mako said, pointing to the mattress between his and Bo's bed that he had set up earlier. Suddenly he was very nervous. Should he have given Korra his bed? Did she expect that? But her response evaporated any of his worries.

"Perfect," she said sincerely, smiling sweetly up at Mako, her eyes crinkling the tiniest bit.

Mako flushed and looked away, beginning to take off his jacket and unwinding his scarf. "glad you like it." He said gruffly.

Stowing away his clothes, he climbed into bed, wearing his customary white tank-top and three-quarter pants. Before getting settled, he glanced at Korra. And immediately wished he hadn't. She was sitting cross legged on the mattress, the blanket and pillow already mussed beneath her. Her hair was already out of its warrior wolf-tail style, flowing feely down shoulders and back. The dark strands glowed slightly from the moonlight streaming in through the window, the only light in the otherwise dark room. She then began to pull her shirt over her head, revealing her tan torso underneath. Mako's eyes traced over the smooth planes of her stomach; the gentle curve of her back. Her shirt was now completely over her head, and she deposited it on the floor. Mako now saw her upper half, concealed by her bindings. They were starkly white against her tan skin. They covered her well, but were skin tight, leaving nothing up to the imagination. He gulped dryly as his eyes found the very large curve of her perfectly round breasts underneath the wrappings. He couldn't seem to look away. Korra then shimmied down her baggy pants and fur wrap, her boots already on the floor. Her legs and midsection were covered in bindings as well, but he could still see her muscular legs and the sharp curve of her hips. Mako, his face now as red as Pabu's fur, felt as if time had slowed down, when in reality it had only been about a minute.

Korra, blissfully oblivious of the torture she was putting Mako through, looked up at him as she finished undressing, and mercifully got under the covers.

"Hey Mako. I just wanted to say…thanks. For letting me stay here, and everything. I had a really great time. We should do it more often."

Mako, determinedly staring at the ceiling now, gave an inaudible noise from the back of his throat as his only answer. He didn't trust himself to speak.

Korra, taking that as a yes, smiled and closed her eyes, her head hitting the pillow. "Anyway, night Mako." She said, and she was asleep.

Mako glanced over at her as he breathes evened out, indicating that she was out for the count. She looked younger in sleep, he realized. She must have the weight of the world on her shoulders, being the Avatar and all, but also because she was just a seventeen year old girl. He sighed heavily. With Korra only a few feet away from him, in the dark, and relatively unclothed, Mako knew he would get little sleep tonight. The air around him seemed to zing with electricity, making the hair on his arms and the back of his neck stand on end. Every time Korra breathed in and out, Mako heard the sound loud and clear, as if she was only inches away from him, not feet. Determined to get at least a few hours of sleep, Mako turned over to face the wall, throwing his pillow over his head. There. That was better.

With Korra still in his thoughts, Mako drifted into an uneasy sleep. But he dreamed. He dreamed that their sparring session earlier in the day had gone differently. That, as she straddled him, he closed the remaining distance between his lips and hers. He dreamed of running his fingers through her soft hair, of making her laugh loudly. Instead of watching her get ready for bed, he was the one who undressed her. He dreamed that he felt her skin on his. Normally, thoughts like this would confuse Mako greatly. Korra was still a mystery to him. One moment he thought he liked her, and the next he didn't. But he allowed himself this one small freedom, to dream. Because he couldn't bear to face reality, to come to terms of what Korra was beginning to mean to him. And a dream was just a dream, after all.

_**End**_

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_A/N: So what did you all think? I have to admit, it took a lot to write this one. I'm hoping that the dialogue wasn't too choppy, and it was my first time writing an action/bending scene, so let me know how I did with that, too. Haha poor Mako! I torture him so! I hope that Korra and Mako weren't too OOC. My goal with this was to convey all the turmoil Mako had inside upon meeting Korra, and how he really couldn't come to terms with it. And also that he is, in fact, an eighteen year old boy who was forced to grow up too fast. Anyway, I have another Makorra fic lined up, but I'm not sure when it will be ready to post, so keep a look out. I know this was probably not one of my better works, but it was a challenge I was willing to accept. Thanks for reading, and reviews are welcome!_


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